Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.
By Alexis Simon Belle (1674–1734), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
At sixty-seven, Alexander Forbes rode to war with Bonnie Prince Charlie, and over a decade afterwards was still a hunted man.
Read
© FaceMePLS, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0 generic.
According to legend, when the Venetians tried to kidnap it the Holy Table of St Sophia in Constantinople made a dramatic escape.
© 掬茶 (Kiku cha), Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0.
Japan’s first Shogun owed his life and his rise to power to a spider and two harmless doves.
© Davide Mauro, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
In 480 BC Leonidas, King of Sparta, frustrated the advance of Xerxes the Persian just long enough to change the course of the war — and history.
© Antonio Borrillo, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0.
After King Edward the Confessor died childless, Europe’s princes stepped forward to claim the prize of England’s crown.
From the twelfth-century Madrid manuscript of the History of John Skylitzes (?1040-?1101). Via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
Harald Hardrada made sure that his fate was never out of his own hands.